CLEVELAND – If David Ortiz can do this kind of damage on one healthy knee, imagine if both were healthy.

After having serious swelling in his right knee Saturday, Ortiz said late Monday night he’s improving, and backtracked from comments in which he said he feared missing time in the ALCS.

“I know I’m hurting, but what else can I do but go out there and try my best?” Ortiz said. “I’ve got to forget about it. We’ve got a short period of time right now. Unless I can’t get out of my bed, I’ve got to keep playing.”

Ortiz, who homered during the Red Sox 7-3 loss to the Indians last night, said he will undergo surgery on his knee once the season is complete.

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Other than Josh Beckett‘s dominant performance in Game 1, starting pitching for the Red Sox has been a mess. Last night, with Tim Wakefield on the mound, was the third straight game a Boston starter lasted 42/3 innings. Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka failed to finish five innings in Games 2 and 3, respectively.

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The Indians respect what the Rockies have accomplished, coming from nowhere to win the NL pennant, but would love to be the team that ends that Cinderella run. But no member of the Indians dared look that far ahead yesterday. Instead, most of the talk was in reverent tones about what Colorado has accomplished.

“Honestly, if you can cheer for an opponent, I was hoping [Colorado] would sweep 14 in a row games to end the season,” Indians catcher Kelly Shoppach said. “It’s been fun to keep up with them to see what they’ve been doing. That’s some fun stuff.”

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Manny Ramirez has a 14-game hitting streak in ALCS play, one behind Pete Rose‘s all-time mark. . . . Kevin Youkilis, Ortiz and Ramirez homered in succession in the sixth inning, marking the second time in major league history a team has hit three straight homers in the same game in the postseason. Tim Raines, Derek Jeter and Paul O’Neill homered in succession in the sixth inning in Game 1 of the 1997 ALDS against the Indians. . . . Ramirez’s homer was the 24th of his career in the postseason, extending his own record.